Narutostuck
by funkychickenliver
Summary: The third world war is over, and the people of Konoha are struggling to rebuild their hope. Their efforts are further hindered by a preprogrammed threat from Madara that could have the power to wipe out the entire world, leading the people of Konoha to begin an ancient ritual to save their race that involves a very special computer game.


He awakened from disturbed dreams, sweating and panicked. What were the things he was seeing? Could that have been her? No. There was no way. He didn't know what she looked like back when she was alive. However, the strange feeling that came from his dreams beckoned him to believe in the impossible. That was his downfall. Nothing could alter this fact. He always felt the burning feeling within his heart and mind. He had to contain all of his rage and pray that the time would pass by faster. The great void in his mind shed a light that allowed him to relax. His breath made a space within which he could reside safely. A certain doom was approaching, and he felt it threatening all life. His blood boiled because of the thing he held onto most dearly. Hope.

"Wait, Naruto! Stop running away!"

"You'll never catch me! Ahahaha! I'm the greatest ninja in the world!"

"Come on, Naruto! How are we supposed to maintain our rivalry if you always run away from our fights?"

"I just don't want to hurt you, Konohamaru. I could blast you to the sand village with one kick if I wanted!"

"You're so silly. That's why I like you."

Naruto stopped in his tracks.

"That's...why you like me?"

"Well, considering you don't have any other qualities..."

"Shut up! But, wait, really? You don't think I'm terrible for causing all of these problems in the village?"

"Of course I do."

"Why, you little punk!"

"Hey, get off me!"

"No! Not until you begin to respect me."

"Naruto, you're a friend. I'm not allowed to respect you. I can only acknowledge our rivalry."

"Right. In the ancient languages, the words 'rival' and 'friend' are the same."

"Same with 'enemy'."

"Now you're just pulling my leg. Let's see how much you like it!"

"Let go of me, Naruto! You're going to yank my leg out of it's socket!"

"Then maybe you'll learn to respect your elders!"

"You're hardly my elder."

"I am too, you doofus. Fine, I'll stop, but the last one back to the village has to buy Ramen!"

"I don't have money, Naruto, I'm just a little boy."

"Don't tell me I wasted my time teaching you Harem No Jutsu! That was supposed to help you become rich!"

"I would, but everyone recognizes me as the third Hokage's grandson. I would bring shame to his name."

"Stop being so moral and logical. Don't you want money?"

"Not really."

"What?!"

"I said I don't."

"There really is something wrong with you. You should seriously see a doctor. I'm sure that Granny Tsunade could fix you up, heehee."

"She's too busy being Hokage. She wouldn't have time to run a full psychoanalysis on me."

"What did you think Hokage's were for?"

"To maintain healthy relationships with with our distant neighbors, and to act as a leader and role model for the people of Konoha."

"Blah, blah, blah, did your grandpa make you memorize that?"

"No, it's just common knowledge."

"Bah, being a Hokage isn't about knowing some dumb little phrase. It's about doing the things that I do!"

"Like...what? What do you even do?"

"Shut it, or I'll have to kill you!"

"Whatever, Naruto. I'm going to go home. There is a delicious dinner waiting for me."

"Watch it, runt."

"Just kidding, Naruto. Actually, you can probably join us, if you'd like."

"No, thanks. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Naruto!"

The boy known as Konohamaru dashed off towards his home in the village. Naruto remained sitting on the tree stump he had come across. The location had always been special to him, for he was the one who had knocked down the tree with a powerful ninjutsu. At the time, it meant nothing to him. But over time, he began to appreciate all of the small things that had occurred in his life. As a sixteen year old, he had brought peace to a broken world and defeated several powerful enemies, including Madara and Obito. A widespread peace had come across the entire world, and it seemed that for once, everything could remain still. However, there was still a lot of effort being put into mending the wounds Konoha faced during the war. Naruto's friend (or rival), Sasuke, had a dangerous trial ahead of him. After running off to get revenge on his brother for murdering the Uchiha, Sasuke had been classified as an extremely dangerous missing nin. Together, the charges could lead to punishment by death. Additionally, many of Naruto's other friends (rivals and enemies, too) were in critical condition due to their battle wounds. Among these included Shikamaru, Chouji, his former sensei Kakashi, and most strikingly, his girlfriend, Hinata. Naruto's other closest friend, Sakura, was busy every day, working to heal all of the injured ninjas. Thus, Naruto felt very isolated and useless. Since he had been healed several times during the war, he had no serious injuries at its conclusion. He was able to heal naturally with the help of the nine-tailed fox that lived within him.

"Perhaps I should go visit them. I'm sure Sakura would like to see me, at least. But then again, she'll probably yell at me for bothering her. Gah, I'm not scared of Sakura, and I never will be."

He leaped to his feet and exited the forest surrounding the silent village. It was so strange to him. The village was normally extremely loud, filled with people heckling shop owners and kids chasing each other through the narrow streets. Not anymore. With the war having just ended, the remaining adults kept their children on close leashes, in case disaster should strike again. Many buildings had also been destroyed, shrinking the amount of inhabitable space. This was closely mirrored by the reduction in population. Hundreds of people had lost their lives in the conflict, and not just those from Konoha. Plenty of ninjas from the surrounding areas had joined in the fight, forming the first ever alliance between the different villages. Anymore, nobody felt safe enough to walk outside without covering themselves with a cloak, hood, or mask. Since the Hokage, Tsunade, was a medical ninja, she was also busy helping everybody recover. Unfortunately, this prevented her from holding a strong reading on the security of the village. Overall, even though the war was definitely over, each citizen of Konoha, and of the world, still felt its despair looming above them. Naruto kept his head up, even though his glory had largely diminished. A hero of war can hardly be celebrated during the process of recovery. Nevertheless, he was determined to help out, no matter what anyone said. It was impossible to destroy his passion.


End file.
